Smile
by KudleyFan93
Summary: When Pinkie Pie falls extremely ill, Rainbow Dash realizes how much more she should have appreciated her friend when she had her. Rated T for ideologically sensitive material.


Title: Smile

Plot: When Pinkie Pie falls extremely ill, Rainbow Dash realizes how much more she should have appreciated her friend when she had her.

The distant horizon came to life under the radiant glow of the rising moon with snowcapped mountains. A lullful silence drifted on the landscape. The snow-kissed alpine mountains glittered softly like dust shaken from angel wings. Glittering pastel blues and lilacs. Enormous peaks reaching upwards to the heavens, snow storms blowing like star showers. Running, diving. Stars- Soaring upwards, a thick blanket of rolling illuminated clouds, completely engulfing the evening sky. Speed. Cutting downwards, skimming the tops of frosted pine trees, lights falling into shadows. Blinded by tears. Diamond encrusted valleys of pure white snow dancing with sparkling frost. Rainbow Dash soared throughout the atmosphere, errant beads of tears flying past her and dripping onto her wings.

'_I'm not gonna make it._'

A frosty breeze shifted the curtains of the dim hospital room. An eerie green glow filled the silent room, safe for a slow beeping sound. The beeping decreased. Panning towards a small screen with a scribbled line that would rise up and then go down again until it became a gradual pattern of matrix mountain-like images.

Streamers of tubes were connected to a feeble pink being lying motionless in a bed. Pinkie Pie's once poofy mane had deflated and faded back to an ugly, pale, dull magenta tint. Pinkie's bright and vivid, cotton candy-colored fur had also lost its color and became a grayish pink. Although Pinkie Pie was in critical condition, she still had her classic smile on.

After four years of fighting cancer, Pinkie Pie knew this was the end. She saw this day coming, and she loathed it most of all. The pale pink earth pony had experienced so much in her implausible life, she could tell you every single moment of it ever since she took her first breath and emerged into the world.

Silence. It was always extremely rare for Pinkie Pie's mouth to not stop opening. Anytime she opened her talkative little mouth, it made you laugh. Pinkie was the most lovable pony you could ever meet; everyone cherished her like she was an award-winning prize.

Hundreds and hundreds of 'Get Well Soon' cards, balloons, and gifts piled around Pinkie Pie's bed. As much as the effervescent pony wanted to thank everyone for all their kind presents, it was as if she couldn't move a single muscle in her entire body.

The once hyperactive pony we all knew and loved was now a mere mortal whose days were quickly coming to an abrupt and melancholy end. All of Ponyville was mourning and grieving; they knew it was almost Pinkie Pie's **time**.

She was running out of time, and fast.

"Nononononono!" Rainbow Dash screamed. She dashed into the hospital and rushed into the critical-care section of the hospital building. Room 113. Rainbow burst into the room, nearly knocking the door off of its hinges.

"PINKIE PIE! Whatever you do, DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!" Rainbow Dash called out. Tears were now streaming down her face. Pinkie Pie didn't move. She opened her mouth and let out an unexpected dry and sickly chuckle, not drawing her attention away from the ceiling.

"Rainbow," Pinkie Pie weakly lifted up her hoof and patted her bedside with it, signaling the cyan pony to follow her polite command. In a second, Rainbow was at the doorway and at the side of Pinkie Pie's bed. Breathlessly, the sobbing Pegasus uttered, "Pinkie Pie…please, don't go! We need you here, in Ponyville! You can't leave us!"

Pinkie Pie remained silent and in her same position. She blankly gazed up at the ceiling wordlessly, making Dash wonder if she even heard her.

"Pinkie..." Rainbow sobbed. Essentially, the blue Pegasus couldn't even force herself to shed a single tear. And now here she was, bawling at the mercy of her rapidly-dying friend.

"Dashie…" It broke Rainbow Dash's heart to hear this word. She gave a small smile at the name. She still remembered. Pinkie Pie's touching nickname for Rainbow was something she'd never forget. Pinkie's voice echoed throughout Rainbow's mind endlessly. Rainbow just wanted it all to be over with.

"Dashie…" Pinkie Pie repeated, her voice shakily cracking. "Y-yeah, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash croaked, her hooves blotting out her face. She didn't want to see her friend like this…so ill…so weak…not a trickle of life left. Pinkie Pie, however, gently pulled Rainbow's hooves away from her face, forcing Rainbow's magenta eyes to pierce Pinkie's pale blue ones.

"Don't hide from the truth, Dashie," Pinkie Pie hoarsely murmured. "This is the real me."

"No! It's not you, Pinkie! You can still be you! You can fight this!" Rainbow Dash cried out, latching onto Pinkie's fragile arm. Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, a smile on her face.

"Rainbow, face it, I won't be here for much longer. You have to face the facts," Pinkie Pie said, trying her best not to break down. "Easy on the waterworks there, Dashie." Pinkie Pie snickered quietly.

"No, I can't live without you! It will never be the same without you here! Nopony will be able to smile or laugh and be happy again without you, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow wailed. Pinkie Pie, like a ghost, placed her shaking hoof onto Rainbow Dash's mane. She brushed her hoof carefully through Rainbow's silky multi-colored mane, caressing her curls with care.

Suddenly, Pinkie hastily put her hoof onto Dash's cheek. "I want you to know something." Rainbow's heart pounded and ached. After a few seconds of hard silence from her friend, a salty pity tear rolled down Pinkie's cheek, dripping onto her chest, directly and ironically onto her heart.

"I want you to, whatever you do and no matter how sad you are…" Pinkie paused again. "…Just smile."

As if on cue, Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and relaxed all of her body muscles. Her hoof slowly slid off of Rainbow's cheek. Seeing her friend in this state made Rainbow Dash wanted to scream and cry in frustration and misery.

Suddenly, a loud, obnoxious, straight beep filled the room. *_beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_*Rainbow Dash glanced over at Pinkie's heart monitor and fell apart when she saw a straight red line striping the screen. Without a word, Rainbow Dash wiped her tears away and, what felt like the longest minute in the world…she smiled.

"I Pinkie-Promise to never frown again, no matter the circumstance." Rainbow Dash murmured aloud, taking a final glance at the deceased Pinkie Pie. "Stick a cupcake in my eye." She uttered as doctors poured into the room.


End file.
